Kerry Fundraiser Helped Finance Anti-Dean Ads

[donsu]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30484-2004Feb10.html

(maybe this is a dupe but I haven't seen it)

Former senator Robert G. Torricelli (D-N.J.), who is raising money for Democratic presidential front-runner John F. Kerry, contributed $50,000 to a secretive group that ran hard-hitting television ads against Howard Dean in December, a new Federal Election Commission filing shows.

-snip-

In November of last year, Torricelli transferred $50,000 from his Senate campaign to Americans for Jobs & Healthcare, a little-known group that this winter ran more than $500,000 in ads against Dean, then the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination. The ads sharply criticized Dean's support of gun rights, free trade and slowing Medicare's growth when he was governor of Vermont. The most controversial ad raised the image of Osama bin Laden and questioned Dean's foreign policy experience.

Kerry went on to win the Iowa caucuses. Torricelli's role in financing the ads was first reported by the Web site PoliticsNJ.com. David Jones, executive director of the group, last night released the entire list of contributors, which showed that the "stop Dean" effort had support from donors to rivals of the former Vermont governor, especially Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) and Kerry.

Several unions then aligned with Gephardt pitched in, as did one of retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark's top fundraisers, Alan Patricof. Bernard Schwartz, chairman of Loral Corp., gave $15,000. Slim-Fast Foods tycoon S. Daniel Abraham contributed $100,000 to the effort after giving Dean $2,000 earlier in the campaign. Another small donor to the group had also contributed to Dean.

"Our goal was to point out where Howard Dean stood on the issues and point out that he had no foreign policy experience," Jones said. "Clearly those goals were accomplished."

-snip-
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[maddezmom]

1. it's a dupe

[MoonAndSun]

2. This story was being reported yesterday, donsu, but it looks like the

main topic now is the Kerry sex scandal according to Drudge.

[ShimokitaJer]

4. So maybe Kerry himself planted this story

Yeah, that's it. He knew this would come out eventually, so now he's released it to take the heat off of the Osama ad connection.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Or maybe not.... okay, probably not.... okay, almost definitely not... but still.... nah

[Uzybone]

3. Snooze

there were 100 threads on this in the last 3 days.

[ShimokitaJer]

5. And 1000 excuses by Kerry supporters

with no actual substance to deny the ties.

For the most part, they attacked Dean for being so mean in linking Kerry to the ads that attacked Dean.

And we're all still waiting for Kerry to denounce Torricelli. Hasn't happened yet.

[emulatorloo]

6. Kerry Campaign Denounced Osama Ad

See this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=315016

[ShimokitaJer]

7. I saw no public nor any firsthand condemnation of the ad

I saw several postings by Kerry's blogger, but nothing from Kerry himself. Indeed, I saw nothing more official than the blog and vague letters sent to individuals talking about Kerry in the third person.

More importantly, I have heard no response to the allegations that Torricelli's involvement implicates Kerry. If the allegations are untrue, this should be a relatively simple matter. Instead, the official response from Kerry's campaign was to attack the messenger, calling Dean names and impugning him for daring to imply Kerry's involvement.

Perhaps you could tell me which of the vague dismissals mentioned in the thread you link is the one you think clears Kerry.

[HFishbine]

10. "Kerry Campaign"

Isn't it bothersome that nobody has yet offered Kerry himslef denouncing the ads. Only second hand blog posts of supposed e-mails from supposed campaign staffers.

[Uzybone]

14. Its not Kerry job

to denounce all attacks on his opponents. By that stupid standard then I should be expecting scorched earth Dean to instantly issue a statement denouncing this false rumor that so many of you have swallowed up.

[paulk]

8. They attacked the "faulty logic"

used by yourself and others to connect unrelated events. Dean also made those linkages, which leads me to believe they don't teach logic in med school.

[Cheswick2.0]

13. Nice side lateral arabesque

perfect avoidance manuever.

[ShimokitaJer]

15. Once again, you don't refute the claims

Attacking us with vague claims of "faulty logic" is yet another convenient method of avoiding the point.

But if you are such a master of logic, perhaps you can explain the involvement of one of Kerry's fundraisers in making possibly illegal contributions to the sponsorship of these ads.

[paulk]

16. refute your claims?

Your claims are nonsense.

Torecelli made contributions to an organization that ran an ad. Torecelli raised money for Kerry. Kerry is responsible for the ad.

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. "After this, therefore because of this."


:shrug:


Why is Kerry responsible for what Torecelli does with his own money?

[Cheswick2.0]

11. Kerry's campaign did ask Torch to hide in the back room for now

not that hiding in the back room denotes guilt or anything.

[stickdog]

9. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

And Gomers everywhere scatch their heads.

[OutlawCorporatePolls]

12. yes, BUT...

... CNN would not say Torricelli's name yesterday.
they spun it back at dean to make him sound desperate.

were coming corporate media, and u better be afraid. the masses are becoming educated.